Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack is an American science fiction-action animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The series follows "Jack", an unnamed samurai sent through time to a dystopian future ruled by the tyrannical shape-shifting demon Aku. Jack quests to travel back in time and defeat Aku before he can take over the world. The series premiered on August 10, 2001, with a TV movie called The Premiere Movie, before ending in its fourth season on September 25, 2004, without concluding the story. A revival was produced twelve years later, giving the fifth and final season that concludes the series, which premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami on March 11, 2017. All episodes of Samurai Jack are directed by Tartakovsky, usually in collaboration with others. The series has garnered critical acclaim, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, as well as six Annie Awards and an OIAF Award. Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku! — Aku, in the original opening title sequence Samurai Jack tells the story of a young prince (voiced by Phil LaMarr) from a feudal Japan-inspired setting, whose father (Sab Shimono and Keone Young) received a magic katana used to defeat and imprison the supernatural shape-shifting demonic wizard Aku (Mako Iwamatsu). A few years later, Aku escapes, and the Emperor sends away his son to travel the world and train so he can return and use the magic sword to defeat Aku. On his return, he faces and almost defeats Aku, but Aku creates a time portal that sends the samurai into the distant future, with anticipation that he would be able to deal with the samurai by that time. The samurai prince arrives in a dystopian, retro-futuristic Earth ruled by Aku. The first people he encounters in the future call him "Jack" as a form of slang, which he adopts as his name. His given name is never mentioned. Most episodes depict Jack overcoming various obstacles in his quest to travel back to his own time and defeat Aku. Each time Jack nears the end of his quest, his chance slips away, forcing him to continue his journey. The retro-futuristic world is inhabited by robots, extraterrestrials, monsters, and magical creatures. Some areas have advanced technology like flying cars, while others resemble ancient times or industrial conditions, such as Ancient Greece, medieval Europe, the Middle East, Victorian-era England, 1920s Chicago, pre-Battle of Culloden Scotland, and more. Aku has brought aliens from other planets to inhabit Earth, while destroying the habitability of the alien planets. Mythologies, supernatural forces and demonic enemies make regular appearances, yet do not seem to stand out among the technologically-advanced inhabitants. Episodes range from dark and epic to light-hearted and comical, and usually contain little dialogue. Stories instead rely on their visuals, cinematic elements, and pacing. Since Jack usually fights robots, monsters, and aliens, the fights can be intense while avoiding blood and gore. Aku often confronts Jack directly, through his minions and bounty-hunters, or in various disguises. While he fails to kill Jack, his attempts to thwart Jack's return to his original time are successful. In one attempt, Jack is led to a portal to the past, but the guardian of the portal (Kevin Michael Richardson) defeats him after a long battle. The guardian is about to crush Jack when the portal starts to flicker and glow, to which the guardian reacts by sparing Jack. The guardian states that it is not yet time for Jack to return to the past, and what appears to be an older Jack is seen in the portal, wearing a crown. In his travels Jack encounters a wandering Scotsman (voiced by John DiMaggio), who carries a magic sword of his own and has had one leg replaced by a machine gun. The two men form a friendship and develop respect for one another, though Jack's reticence contrasts sharply with the Scotsman's boisterous manner. The Scotsman has considerable skill with his sword; consequently, the two pose a formidable threat to the enemies they face together. The series was left open-ended after the conclusion of the fourth season. Cast Category:Cartoon Network Studios Category:Cartoons